Lodz, 20 April 1925

Beloved and devoted Sol and your worthy and
   dear wife Esther,

I received all your letters a month ago, and I attempted to
answer you immediately, as you will note from my first letter
to you, dated March 26.  However, for a variety of reasons, I
didn't mail you that letter separately.  Dear Sol, while you
may interpret matters with respect to your uncle as your
understanding dictates, I accept your judgement of me
with indifference because, from my perspective, I'm certain
that I'm the guilty one and, in any event, defending myself
won't help.

But, dear Sol, the case has never occurred in which someone
wants to do harm to another where some benefit doesn't
emerge.  I intended to play a prank on you and not write for
two months so that you would think that, obviously, your
Uncle Wolf must be all right if he doesn't write.  And,
between us, you are after all a young man fresh from his
wedding; you're entitled to be able to rejoice with your
bride, as the Torah provides.  Take advantage of the
opportunity; it is a good thing.  And perhaps your uncle
wanted to write you a merry little letter as one writes to a
young man after his wedding.  However...for some reason,
something prevented me from writing such a letter.  I really
don't know why.  We're both too smart not to be able to grasp
each other's meaning with a mere glance.

My dear and devoted one, you are so loyal and committed to
me; you share everything with me from the most minor details
to the most intimate and important matters.  In truth, you
have high regard for me not only as your uncle, but also as
your best friend.  Yes, Sol, you can reflect upon whether you
have close to you there a friend in whom you confide as you
do to your uncle.  Secondly, do you have a friend who would
make sacrifices in order to make you content.  Certainly, it
isn't possible to discuss such things on paper.

Don't think that I fail to read your letters with deep
understanding.  I'm amazed at how you acquired such a mature
outlook, which is so comprehensive.  I've often expressed
such an opinion of you.  And as to your personality, I've
already expressed my high regard.  My final word concerning
you is that you are a person who is worthy of being called a
"mensch," and as a "mensch" I love you in the full meaning of
the word, and you should know that there are very few
"menschen" in this world.

And if there are two good friends who are both in difficult
straits and who both have heartaches, why does one come along
and get it off his chest while the other chokes on the words
and either can't or chooses not to speak them.  Well?  It
shouldn't annoy you.  Yes, I acknowledge that you're correct;
I don't write about everything to you in complete detail and
in the most intimate terms.  I myself admit, my devoted
child, that you, and only you, are entitled to be aware of
everything that happens to me because you, and only you, are
my best and closest and most reliable friend.  But...but...
recently, I just couldn't permit myself to write you any
teary letters. I would like to send you only cheerful ones
with good news, but since, up to now, I don't have any such
things to write about, I'm forced to remain totally silent.
And to be silent is also a way of communicating.

Believe me, Sol, if you were to demand that I write you a
letter today telling you how things are going with me, it
would be a sin.  (Ask for) letters only about me and my good
fortune.  Don't ask for more lest your questioning put me in
a quandary.  On the one hand, I would like to answer that I'm
well, that I'm alright, that I'm doing business and making a
living, etc.  But my brain reminds me to whom I'm writing
this letter and to whom I'm about to tell a lie...my best and
closest friend who saved me from death and who rescued me
from prison.

Well, how does one go about extricating himself from
this dilemma in which I find myself.  If I write the truth,
you'll agonize, you'll have aggravation, etc.  If I don't
write the truth, I will violate the trust of my best and
closest friend.  So, in fact, I write nothing, and that's
that.  You there may penalize me as much as you like...
whether to a 10-year term or whether I fall in the 20-year
category.  I can only make it plain that I feel guilty, and
I'm prepared to accept your verdict, i.e., the sentence given
a guilty person.  But one thing I beg of you, dear Sol.  You
can inflict the greatest punishment in the world...except for
one thing...with procrastinating in sending me letters.  Not
that.  Don't pay attention to my foolish letters, but rather
honor me every two weeks with a 16-sided letter.  I require
nothing further of you and ask nothing further of you, except
that we make each other aware of good news.

So, I close my letter with heartfelt regards.  Heartfelt and
loving regards to you, and I send my deep-felt regards to
your worthy wife, my dear niece.  My wife and children send
their heartfelt and loving regards.  Your grandmother sends
her own current heartfelt regards.  Today, she's with me in
Lodz.  She came for the second day of Passover and will
return to Opoczno the next day.  She listened to your last
letter concerning all your accidents and also the problem you
had with your eye.  She wept.  I can see from your letter all
the "good fortune" you've had.  But, Sol, don't commit a sin
(by complaining) because it could, chas v'cholilah, be worse
than it is.  Look on the bright side; hope; endure; and think
about how to improve your situation!  For example, take your
uncle who has gone through so much in this world; yet, when
the time comes to suffer, chas v'cholilah, one wants to
survive even though life is difficult and unbearable.  But,
surely, one doesn't want to lie down in a dark grave leaving
behind such a beautiful, bright world.  In truth, it's
difficult to live, but it's more difficult to die.

My sister and brother-in-law send you heartfelt regards from
Opoczno.  They've also not been deprived of trouble.
(Stanislaw) Grabski has recently been bleeding them of their
hard-earned savings and wants to chase them out to Palestine.
Surely, Lazer wrote to you recently about everything.

There's nothing more of importance to write.  Best regards
from everyone.

                              With respect, your uncle,

                              Wolf Lewkowicz

Regards for Rose, Bernice and Ruth; your father; uncles; your
in-laws; your friends whom I don't know; etc.  Write me about
what you were able to do with the mushrooms and whether or
not there will be any profit.  I'm anxious to hear all the
details.  And why has it taken so long?  Two months have
passed since I sent them.


All material Copyright 1995 by Marshall L. Zissman and Sol J. Zissman.